Chapter 1381
Wang Mang's Imagination, the Chosen One?
Chapter 1381 Wang Mang's Imagination, the Chosen One?
Sometimes I really wonder if all historical figures were thrown into this world to compete for survival?
If you want time travel, fine, but can't we just follow the normal historical timeline? Why do we have to create this kind of "cross-era free-for-all"?
Liu Bang, Liu Xiu, and Liu Yu, three "founding emperors" from different eras, have formed a group to rebel. Ying Zheng, Xiang Yu, and Zhu Yuanzhang have each occupied their own territories and become kings. Now, even Yao Guangxiao, a "professional rebel," has come out to act as an envoy for Su Ye. Is there any hope for this world?
In my past life, I was beaten so badly by Liu Xiu that I questioned my existence. In this life, I finally managed to rise to a high position, only to face the combined attack of three overpowered figures: Liu Bang, Liu Xiu, and Liu Yu. Now, Yao Guangxiao is fanning the flames from the sidelines. This life is simply unbearable!
Moreover, Su Ye is no pushover either. At such a young age, he has already taken over Qianzhou, the core state of the Great Qian Dynasty, and controls five or six other states. It seems he is about to change the entire Great Qian Dynasty. He even has powerful figures like Wei Qing, Zhang Juzheng, and Kong Xuan under his command. Now he has also won over Yao Guangxiao. He seems to be aiming to unify the world!
Could this guy be the chosen one of this world?
"Your Excellency, Liu Bang, Liu Xiu, and Liu Yu are now harboring ulterior motives. The alliance appears stable, but it is actually extremely fragile. Liu Bang is greedy and lustful, Liu Xiu is hypocritical and cunning, and Liu Yu is ambitious. The three of them are only temporarily united for the sake of interests."
Seeing the ever-changing expression on Wang Mang's face, Yao Guangxiao assumed he was weighing the pros and cons and continued to persuade him.
"Although the Great Ling Dynasty has lost half of its territory, it still has 50,000 imperial guards in the capital and 100,000 garrison troops in the northern prefectures. In addition, there are county soldiers and local militias in various places. It is not a problem to gather an army of 200,000. As long as the Grand Secretary raises his arm and mobilizes these forces to attack the rebel army's supply lines from the rear, and then joins forces with the Lord to send troops from Qianzhou to contain them, Liu Bang and others will inevitably be unable to attend to both ends, and the rebel army will collapse without a fight."
"If the Great Ling Dynasty can preserve its throne, you, Grand Secretary, will be a meritorious official who rebuilds the nation, and your power will only be greater than it is now. On the contrary, if the rebel army is allowed to breach the capital, as a high-ranking official of the court, how could Liu Bang and others tolerate you? You will probably die without a burial place!"
Upon hearing this, Wang Mang couldn't help but roll his eyes inwardly.
"You think I don't know that those three harbor ulterior motives? But the thing is, even if they're at odds, they're more than capable of dealing with the Great Ling Dynasty, which looks like it's about to collapse!"
"Two hundred thousand troops? Most of them are a rabble. How can they defeat Liu Bang's Fengpei youths, Liu Xiu's Twenty-Eight Generals of Yuntai, and Liu Yu's Northern Army? Not to mention Tian Cangmang, that guy with the ultimate Qi, who could single-handedly break through my Imperial Guard's formation!"
Despite his complaints, Wang Mang knew that Yao Guangxiao was telling the truth.
If things continue like this, it's only a matter of time before the rebel army breaches the capital. As a senior cabinet minister, he will certainly not have a good ending. Although the cooperation proposed by Su Ye sounds like negotiating with a tiger, it may be a way out.
"Yao Guangxiao, you really can't escape rebellion and meddling wherever you go! In your past life, you helped Zhu Di quell the rebellion, and in this life, you're helping Su Ye form alliances. Can't you do something a monk should do? Like chanting scriptures, meditating, or begging for alms? Instead, you insist on getting involved in these fighting and killing. Your reputation as a black-robed demon monk is truly well-deserved!"
Looking into Yao Guangxiao's shrewd, triangular eyes, he started mentally ranting again.
“What Master Yao said makes some sense. However, mobilizing the remaining forces of the dynasty is not an easy task. The garrison commanders of the northern states each have their own agendas, and the commander of the Imperial Guards is a confidant of the Empress. He may not be willing to obey my orders.”
Wang Mang cleared his throat, a profound and inscrutable expression on his face.
"Your Excellency, rest assured, this humble monk has already prepared a countermeasure for you. This document contains the incriminating evidence against the garrison commanders of the northern states, such as the hiding places of their families. As long as Your Excellency reveals these incriminating evidence, they will surely obey you."
"As for the commander of the Imperial Guards, I have already arranged for someone to take over. Tonight, I will create an 'accident' to prevent him from commanding the Imperial Guards. At that time, the Grand Secretary only needs to recommend his own confidant to take over, and the Imperial Guards will naturally be in your hands."
Yao Guangxiao smiled slightly, took out a scroll of bamboo slips from his sleeve, and handed it over.
"Good heavens! This guy's intelligence network is amazing! It's even more effective than my cabinet's secret agents! He's definitely been a professional troublemaker for decades, very experienced!" Wang Mang took the bamboo slip, unfolded it, and saw that the contents were incredibly detailed. It even recorded the fact that a certain garrison commander was secretly keeping a mistress. He couldn't help but gasp, his heart filled with shock.
"Alright, I promise you. I can mobilize the garrison troops in the northern states to launch an attack from the flank of the rebels and strike their supply lines. I will also take control of the Imperial Guards as soon as possible and defend the capital."
He stood up, walked to the map, and traced his finger across the territory of the Great Ling Dynasty.
"This humble monk thanks Your Excellency for your kindness. In a few days, this humble monk will send someone to contact Your Excellency to discuss the specific battle plan. Farewell."
Seeing that the deal was done, Yao Guangxiao put his hands together in prayer.
After saying that, he turned and walked out of the study. His black monk's robes left a trail of shadow in the sunlight as he disappeared into the depths of the mansion.
"This is absolutely outrageous! It's ridiculously absurd! Not only did I transmigrate, but I also encountered so many historical figures involved in a rebellion, and now I'm cooperating with Yao Guangxiao, this black-robed demon monk. What sins did I commit in my past life?"
Wang Mang watched Yao Guangxiao's departing figure, couldn't help but sigh, sat back down in his armchair, picked up the jade thumb ring from the table, and continued his internal monologue.
"Liu Bang, Liu Xiu, Liu Yu, Ying Zheng, Xiang Yu, Zhu Yuanzhang, plus that unknown Duke Zhenguo Su Ye, are suspected to be the chosen ones of this world."
"There are just too many powerful figures in this world! It's so difficult for a mere transmigrator like me to be stuck in the middle!"
"I hope this cooperation will be successful, otherwise I'll really have to give up Barbie Q. If I can rely on Su Ye, the chosen one, to defeat the rebels, I will definitely carry out a thorough reform in the Great Ling Dynasty and promote my new dynasty system. Maybe I can even fulfill my dream of becoming emperor in my previous life!"
"But speaking of which, is Yao Guangxiao reliable? Although he helped Zhu Di succeed in history, he also harmed a lot of people. We have to be careful of him, lest we be betrayed by him and still be counting the money for him!"
"And then there's Su Ye, the chosen one. This kid is so powerful at such a young age, his ambition must be huge. He helped me this time only to use Da Ling to contain the rebel army. Once he's dealt with the other opponents, he'll eventually turn his attention to Da Ling. We can't put all our hopes on him."
Wang Mang's head throbbed with worry. He picked up a teacup from the table and took a sip, only to find the tea had gone cold.
He waved his hand, signaling the butler to bring him a fresh pot of hot tea, and silently prayed.
"God, please stop messing with me. Just let me be a powerful minister in peace, or at least let my dream of becoming emperor come true, okay?"
Back in the Western Han Dynasty, I had a life-or-death struggle with Liu Xiu, and now, looking around, I see nothing but ruthless historical figures!
Each of them is a figure of great historical significance, and now they're all clustered in the Tianwu Continent. How am I supposed to play like this?
What's even more devastating is that these historical figures not only came themselves, but also brought their entire teams! Liu Bang had Xiao He and Chen Ping by his side, Liu Xiu had the Twenty-Eight Generals of Yuntai, and there was also Tian Cangmang, whose intelligence revealed him to be at the pinnacle of Qi, defeating Xuan Wushang in ten moves—truly formidable!
Ying Zheng had Meng Tian, Li Si, and the Black Ice Guard by his side; Xiang Yu had Fan Zeng and Long Ju by his side; Zhu Yuanzhang had Xu Da, Chang Yuchun, and Zhu Sheng by his side; Li Shimin had the Xuanjia Army and strategists by his side; Liu Yu had the Northern Army by his side... And me?
Aside from sycophantic officials, there are few capable fighters around me!
The only capable fighter in Da Ling is the old and frail Xuan Wushang, but he was captured by Tian Cangmang. The rebel army is almost at the gates of the capital. The remaining forces I have are supposed to be mobilized, but they are just old, weak and disabled soldiers, plus a bunch of powerful ministers who are hindering each other. They are just a disorganized mess!
How can you do a good job while surrounded by these maggots!
(End of this chapter)